


Promptly Unfulfilled

by femalegothic



Category: Good Girls (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, First Dates, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-17 21:34:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29599059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/femalegothic/pseuds/femalegothic
Summary: A collection of tumblr prompts.
Relationships: Beth Boland/Rio
Comments: 14
Kudos: 72





	Promptly Unfulfilled

**Author's Note:**

> 16: After their first date + 7: “You didn’t have to do [that], you know?”
> 
> For [Nomind](https://www.archiveofourown.org/users/nomind)

# Des Bisous Partout

“You didn’t have to do that, you know,” Beth says, annoyed that he’d paid the bill while she was in the bathroom. “I can pay for myself.”

Reaching into her purse, she pulls out a crumpled five and a couple of ones, nine dollars total. She didn’t need to see the bill to know exactly how much her food cost—seven-fifty flat with tax for the burger and fries plus the twenty percent tip made for a nine-dollar meal. She holds the bills out expectantly.

Rio grins up at her, white teeth flashing as he waves her hand away. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Let me leave the tip then.” She tosses the five onto the table, not sure how much his food cost but hoping that would cover it. Rolling his eyes, he picks it up immediately.

“Nah, I already got it.”

Irritation bubbles in her stomach. He’d been like this all night, trying to pay for everything, insisting that because _he_ asked _her_ out that it was his responsibility. As if that made any sense. As if she wasn’t perfectly capable of paying for herself.

“I have a job, you know.” Beth knows Rio knows—he spends more time bothering her at the library help desk than he ever does studying. Not once in the past year, has she ever seen him open one of the books he asks her to help him find.

“That work-study got you ballin’, huh?”

Beth flushes and busies herself with her coat so she doesn’t have to look at him. No, her work-study program certainly doesn’t have her _ballin’_ , but that’s none of his business. Besides, she’s perfectly capable of managing her money even if she doesn’t have much of it.

When she looks back at him, he’s standing too, coat on and beanie pulled low over his ears. Rio steps forward, closing the distance between them until their chests are almost touching. Her heart beats just a bit faster, her irritation quickly overrun by a familiar jitteriness when his hand comes to rest on her hip.

Beth clears her throat. “I can take care of myself.”

“I know, darlin’,” he says, slipping his hand into her pocket. “You can get next time.”

_Next time._

Her stomach flips at the idea. She hadn’t really thought there would be a next time, all things considered. It’s not like the date had been bad or anything—definitely not the disaster she’d expected at least—but it wasn’t particularly _good_ either.

From the moment Rio arrived at her dorm that evening, they’d argued. Not just about the money, but about everything. Where to go, what to do, classes, movies, books—anything and everything they could possibly talk about. It’s like he can’t not question her, can’t stop pushing her buttons for even one second. But she can’t stop either.

Something about him just sets her on edge, makes her jumpy and excited like her fight-or-flight instinct is in overdrive. It’s irritating— he’s irritating—but more than anything, it’s exhilarating.

Even when they’d gotten kicked out of Lucky’s bar earlier in the night—having gotten too competitive during a game of darts and nearly took out some frat guy—the rush of excitement overwhelmed any sense of shame. They’d tumbled out the bar, laughing harder than she’d laughed in a long time.

Beth’s never felt this way around anyone else. Rio is as magnetic and interesting as he is condescending and annoying. But no matter how much he pisses her off, she can’t help but want to be around him.

Still, the date had been rocky at best— just a little too awkward and tense for her to think they’d give it another go.

But the way he’s looking at her now—dark eyes shining—makes her consider that maybe, just maybe, he’d enjoyed himself, too.

\---

The walk back to her dorm is short, but they take their time.

Beth lets him put his arm around her, even though being so close to him makes her nervous and flushed. It’s an unusually chilly night, even for October, and if Rio notices her trembling and rosy-cheeks, she can blame it on the cold.

For the first time all night, they don’t argue. Instead, Beth listens carefully as he points out the stars overhead—the bears, Ursa Major and Minor, and Draco, the dragon—all shining, indistinct dots in the dark sky. Rio points them out as they go as if she should be able to tell one random cluster of stars from another.

They all look the same to her, but she squints up anyway, trying to visualize the shapes he’s showing her. Maybe next time, she’ll be able to see it.

When they get to her dorm, the awkward tension from before settles over them. Beth wonders if she should invite him up, wonders if he’s expecting her to. The idea of taking him to her room makes her blush even harder, her whole body suddenly very hot despite the cold.

Rio doesn’t speak as she riffles through her purse and her pockets, trying to find her keys, just stands there watching her. For once, she wishes he would say something—anything at all would be better than nothing. But he doesn’t.

After a long and painfully silent moment, she fishes her keys and the five-dollar bill from her coat pocket.

“You should take this.” Beth holds the bill up but doesn’t try to hand it to him, knowing he won’t take it.

“Save it for next time, yeah.” Rio reaches out and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Right,” she says breathlessly. “Next time.”

Heat rises in her cheeks, and her mouth is suddenly very dry. He’s so close Beth is sure he’s going to kiss her. Her gaze drops to his lips—full and pink and parted. But Rio doesn’t close the distance, or at least, he doesn’t close it fast enough.

Before she can stop herself, she grabs the lapels of his coat and kisses him.

Well, sorta kiss him.

Mortifyingly, Beth ends up pressing her lips to his bottom lip rather than kissing him straight on. She feels him tense against her, but he doesn’t kiss her back, and _oh god—_

She completely misread the situation.

Embarrassment rushes through her, and Beth tries to pull back, an apology already tumbling out of her. But Rio follows her, his lips muffling her _sorry_ , as he kisses her forcefully, their momentum sending them stumbling into the wall.

His hand in her hair stops her head from hitting the bricks, but she feels dumbstruck anyway.  
She lets out an embarrassing noise, a sort of overwhelmed squeak as he presses his body fully against hers.

Their kissing quickly becomes dirtier and messier, and Beth’s embarrassment fades into a heady, disorienting rush, sort of like being drunk. It feels good—so unbelievably good she can barely stand it. Her whole body trembles against his, and if Rio wasn’t pinning her to the wall, she certain she’d slide down it.

His hand twists in her hair as he slants his mouth harder against hers. A thrumming wetness builds between her thighs, making her squirm. Beth widens her stance so he can press himself between them. Even through their coats, she can feel him—hard against her hip. It makes her head spin to think she can do this to him, to turn him on like this just by kissing him. It’s so hot knowing he wants her just as much as she wants him.

The door slams open, the metal clanking loudly against the brick.

The sound washes over her like a bucket of cold water.

Beth pulls away just in time to see two girls from her floor, Lauren and Asmita, stepping out of the building. They pause for a moment, staring wide-eyed at Beth over Rio’s shoulder, before bursting into laughter. Beth flushes and buries her face into his coat, trying to hide her embarrassment.

“Beth, oh my god!” Asmita exclaims, her voice shrill with amusement. “Get a fucking room.”

Both girls laugh harder, throwing out lewd suggestions as they pass. Rio’s laughing too, low and breathy in her ear, but Beth doesn’t find it funny at all.

Pushing him away, Beth crosses her arms and huffs as she looks pointedly to the side. Rio hardly steps back at all, his hands sliding from her hair to her shoulders. She tries to shrug him off, but he doesn’t let go. Instead, he takes her chin in between his fingers and gently turns her face back toward his.

“Hey now,” he murmurs, voice low and raspy. She glares up at him, still annoyed with him for laughing, but there’s something in his eyes that makes her waiver—something warm and tender affects her more than she’d care to admit.

“So,” she begins, clearing her throat, “thanks for tonight.”

“Anytime.”

“Next time,”–she holds the crumpled five-dollar bill up between them–“It’s my treat.”

Rio huffs out a laugh. “Course, mama. Next time.”

And when he kisses her goodbye, it feels like a promise.


End file.
